Tom Orsborn: Refs followed rule book at end of Game 4

MARINA del REY, Calif. – League spokesman Brian McIntyre told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that referees Joey Crawford, Joe Forte and Mark Wunderlich may have been following a league guideline when they failed to make a call on Derek Fisher when he made contact with Brent Barry at the end of Game 4.

“There is an explanation in the rule book,” McIntyre told the Times, “that there are times during games when the degree of certainty necessary to determine a foul involving physical contact is higher. That comes during impact times when the intensity has risen, especially at the end of a game. In other words, if you’re going to call something then, be certain.”

Basically, what McIntrye told the Times is the same thing Gregg Popovich said at Landmark Aviation yesterday afternoon: “A referee is going to be hesitant to make a call that could decide a game at the end unless it’s really either gross or obvious. So, that’s why I said, if I was an official, I would not have hcalled that a foul at the end of the game.”

Former Lakers guard turned television analyst Norm Nixon told the Times it was up to Brent Barry to force a referee to blow his whistle when Derek Fisher made contact. In doing so, Nixon essentially echoed something Manu Ginobili said in the locker room after the game.

“Refs don’t like to make that kind of call to decide a game unless it’s a hard foul,” Nixon told the Times. “As it was, at a time like that in a playoff game, I thought it was a good non-call. If (Barry) had gone on with the continuation of the play, it would have been an obvious foul and it would have been called. The problem was, he dribbled away and then took a shot. If you can create contact, you are going to get the call.”